My journey as an artist

@Karen Those paintings are beautiful! I've barely ever done any painting. But there's a place that opening near me that does guided painting parties and I've thought that might be fun.

@misslovescraps Well, my scrapbook from the 80's is not like modern scrapbooks. But it's a scrapbook in the truest sense of the word: a book where I attached scraps of memorabilia that were special to me. I will photograph it and share it. It just occurred to me that I have never photographed it before. I have photographed all my diaries and journals (dating back to 1981), as a backup just in case they are damaged. But I haven't thought to do the same for any of my old paper scrapbooks.

I've just made some quick snapshots of my first scrapbook (which contains stuff from about 1983 to 1987) and put them in this gallery at my website if you'd like to see. Later, when I have the time, I'll photograph all my paper scrapbooks more carefully and share them similarly.

 

Yes! I think I'll spend quite some time there!

 

Love! Seeing your pages in books is beautiful! I absolutely love your drawings and images that you create, those are my favorites! Don't ever doubt your creative beauty, Li Li!

 

I have short fingers too LOL. My mom used to say that my grandmother (who had very long fingers but I ended up with shorties like my mom) was the talented one, she could design her own clothes and was a whiz in the kitchen but that gene skipped her generation and mine. She didn't say it as an insult, I think she said it to let me know it was ok if I couldn't or didn't want to do anything crafty or artsy. My mom was not crafty at all and was an awkward insecure person all of her life. One of my biggest joys in life was to teach her paper scrapbooking and card making to her when she was in her 60's. She finally became proud of doing something creative She created her pages and cards right up until she passed away in her 70's.

 

Omg!!!!!! So amazing and inspirational! Your pages are amazing!

 

This warms my heart so much.

 

That is so awesome! I need to go back and get photos of my paper scrapbooks, but when I try the lighting is awful and I can't get any good pictures. I totally LOL'd at your favorite actors of Ricky Schroeder and Punky Brewster... we must be the same age... cuz those are from my childhood too!

 

I got decent photos of my journals outside a few years ago. I set up a tripod on a beach towel on my back deck and aimed the camera straight down at my journals. So I could sit there and click ... turn page ... click ... turn page .... click ...

I'll be 46 on November 22

 

Your books are beautiful!! The art journaling definitely comes naturally to you!!

 

Thank you for this creative division, I like very much your way of creating. You always make very beautiful things.

From my part I began with the photography, thanks to my studies and I began making of the project life, two years ago. Then, I began the paper scrapbooking, until discover the digital, with which I feel much better. I am always in full discovery, but I adore that!

 

I totally love this thread and I love your work, LiLi @misslovescraps . So beautifully done. I'm going to have to check out @michelepixels web site when I'm not at work with people peering over my shoulder. @Karen I am so IMPRESSED!

I was always somewhat creative, anything to not watch TV which I usually fall asleep during when I do. My grandfather was a tailor and I was always watching him. At 12 or 13 I started sewing my own clothes, (my mother could not sew) sewed my wedding dress, sewed most of the garments that DH and I would wear. I also quilted (note past-tense). We were getting ready to move in the early 1990's and my sewing machine ended up in storage for a couple of months and that was the end of my fiber relationship. I also can crochet and knit, but I'm slow at both.

In high school I would do pencil sketches during class of my classmates and teachers. They weren't bad, people could identify who I was drawing. I left my sketchbook at home when I went off to college, and when I came back during a break to pick it up, my mother had cleaned out everything and thrown it all away. So I've got nothing now, and no excuses other than time. I've even purchased new sketch pads and paints, hoping to do some mixed media. It is all sitting in a brand spanking new cabinet I bought, mostly untouched. Sigh...

I also have 10 paper scrapbooks (more or less) dating back way too many years. But lots of them are glued in cards, tickets to concerts, magazine articles for DH (who is a musician and at one point was in a 17 piece jazz band that performed 60-70 times a year.) Good idea to photograph the scrapbooks. They are all on the top shelf of the bookcase in my studio, but you never know...

I have dabbled with zentangles and love creating collage with gluebooks, although I've not done either very recently. Photoshop is the go-to for my creative outlet. I've had that love affair with Photoshop since June 2006.

 

WOW! it's amazing you have these! i would love to have any art work of mine from when i was young!! Thank you for sharing!